Device and kit and method for measuring the degree of doneness of a cooked piece of meat

Abstract

A plurality of blocks of resilient material are arrayed in proximity to each other. Each block has a predetermined amount of compressibility which is equal to the amount of compressibility of a model piece of meat which has been cooked to a known degree of doneness. In a preferred embodiment, four blocks will be labeled to indicate the corresponding degrees of doneness of four model pieces of meat which have been cooked to known degrees of doneness, and whose amounts of compressibility are equal to the amounts of compressibility of the blocks being labeled. In the preferred embodiment, the first block will be labeled rare, the second block medium rare, the third block medium well done and the fourth block well done. The degree of doneness of a cooked piece of meat can be measured by compressing the piece of meat and then compressing the blocks to determine which block has an amount of compressibility equal to the amount of compressibility of the cooked piece of meat. The degree of doneness of the cooked piece of meat will be the same as the degree of doneness of the model cooked piece of meat, which is correspondingly equal in amount of compressibility with the block, whose amount of compressibility equals that of the cooked piece of meat.

Having described my invention by reference to a preferred embodiment, I claim: 
     
       1. A device for measuring the degree of doneness of a cooked piece of meat comprising: a plurality of blocks of resilient material, each of said blocks having a known, predetermined, calibrated distinct amount of compressibility, said amount of compressibility of each of said blocks being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of meat which has been cooked to a known standard degree of doneness, each of said blocks having an exposed surface which is adapted to be compressed for measurement of the amount of compressibility thereof, the differences in compressibility between the plurality of blocks being pre-selected to represent a range in degrees of doneness of a cooked piece of meat.   
     
     
       2. A device for measuring the degree of doneness of a cooked piece of beef comprising: a plurality of blocks of resilient material, each of said blocks having a known, predetermined, calibrated, distinct amount of compressibility, said amount of compressibility of each of said blocks being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of beef which has been cooked to a known standard degree of doneness, each of said blocks having an exposed surface which is adapted to be compressed for measurement of the amount of compressibility thereof, the differences in compressibility between the plurality of blocks being pre-selected to represent a range in degrees of doneness of a cooked piece of beef.   
     
     
       3. A device as recited in claim 2 wherein said range in degrees of doneness of said cooked piece of beef comprises rare, medium rare, medium well done and well done degrees of doneness. 
     
     
       4. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of blocks of resilient material comprises: four blocks of resilient material, each of said blocks having a known, predetermined, calibrated, distinct amount of compressibility; said amount of compressibility of the first block being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of beef which has been cooked to a standard rare degree of doneness, said amount of compressibility of the second block being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of beef which has been cooked to a standard medium rare degree of doneness, said amount of compressibility of the third block being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of beef which has been cooked to a standard medium well degree of doneness, said amount of compressibility of the fourth block being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of beef which has been cooked to a standard well done degree of doneness.   
     
     
       5. A device as recited in claim 4, wherein said resilient material comprises flexible cellular foam material. 
     
     
       6. A device as recited in claim 5 wherein each said block has a color which is different from the color of each of the other said blocks. 
     
     
       7. A device as recited in claim 4 wherein said first block is colored red, said second block is colored orange, said third block is colored brown, and said fourth block is colored black. 
     
     
       8. A kit for measuring the degree of doneness of a cooked piece of meat comprising: a plurality of blocks of resilient material, each of said blocks having a known, predetermined, calibrated, distinct amount of compressibility, said amount of compressibility of each of said blocks being equal to a corresponding amount of compressibility of a model piece of meat which has been cooked to a known standard degree of doneness, each of said blocks having an exposed surface which is adapted to be compressed for measurement of the amount of compressibility thereof, the differences in compressibility between the plurality of blocks being pre-selected to represent a range in degrees of doneness of a cooked piece of meat, means for compressing each of said blocks; and a tray having a plurality of wells, said wells being arrayed in proximity with each other, each well of said plurality of wells containing one of said blocks of resilient material, each said well being of a size larger than said block contained in said well, thus allowing said block to expand without contacting a side of said well when said block is compressed on said exposed surface.   
     
     
       9. A kit, as recited in claim 7, wherein a first block has the word RARE printed next to it, a second block has the words MED. RARE printed next to it, a third block has the words MED. WELL printed next to it, and a fourth block has the words WELL DONE printed next to it. 
     
     
       10. A kit, as recited in claim 8 wherein said compressing means comprises a stick with at least one blunt end. 
     
     
       11. A kit as recited in claim 8 wherein said resilient material comprises flexible, cellular foam material. 
     
     
       12. A method of measuring the degree of doneness of a cooked piece of meat comprising the steps of: (1) Compressing an exposed surface of said cooked piece of meat, to determine the amount of compressibility of said cooked piece of meat, (2) compressing a plurality of blocks of resilient material, each of said blocks having a known, predetermined, calibrated, distinct amount of compressibility of a model cooked piece of meat which has been cooked to a known standard degree of doneness, (3) comparing the amount of compressibility of said cooked piece of meat with the amount of compressibility of each of said blocks, (4) determining which is equal to the amount of compressibility of said cooked piece of meat, (5) equating the amount of compressibility of said cooked piece of meat with the amount of compressibility of said one of said blocks, (6) relating said one of said blocks to a model cooked piece of meat, whose amount of compressibility is equal to the amount of compressibility of said one of said blocks, and (7) determining the known standard degree of doneness of said model cooked piece of meat, whose degree of doneness is equal to the degree of doneness of said cooked piece of meat.